


“People like you have no imagination."

by filthybonnet



Category: Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins Movies), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types, Hannibal Lecter Tetralogy - Thomas Harris
Genre: Hannibal being a dick, Men fighting over a woman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-24 10:28:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16173239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/filthybonnet/pseuds/filthybonnet
Summary: Summary: Set during The Silence of the Lambs. Before being transferred to Memphis, Jack Crawford visits Dr. Lecter in his basement cell trying to use Lecter’s recent fondness for Clarice Starling as a method to gather information about Buffalo Bill. Instead Lecter gets in his head and uses Clarice as a weapon against him.





	“People like you have no imagination."

**Author's Note:**

> This is prompt two for Fictober 2018.

“People like you have no imagination,” Dr. Lecter’s metallic rasp bounced off the walls of his cell. “I will admit that island prison transfer was clever, Jack but you left it up to Agent Starling to paint in the details.”

Special Agent Jack Crawford stood tall and rigided. It has been a few years since he himself had stared down Lecter, but he needed to right now. Catherine Martin’s life was on line, not to mention a reprimand coming his way for pulling the transfer stunt and his involving Clarice in it. She was so close to being held back and it would be his fault for involving her in this.

“Is that so? You’d really think I’d leave something that important up to a trainee?”

“Are you really asking me of all people that, Special Agent Crawford?” Hannibal twiddled his thumbs as his hands sat on his cold, metal table. “Have you talked to Will Graham lately? He didn’t respond to my last letter. Besides Clarice and I have gotten to know each other over our little chats. Only she would know just how much seeing a tree would mean to me.”

He stopped his hand moment and gently sat them on the table crossing them over each other, his left on top purposely presenting his sixth digit. “So do you really think I’m going to tell you anything, I didn’t tell Clarice, Jack? Especially now that Freddy Boy actually arranged a real deal for me. I’m surprised he even let you in to see me.”

Crawford shivered at how casually this monster said Agent Starling’s first name, “Is that so, Dr. Lecter?”

Hannibal smirked, “I have grown rather fond of Clarice, don’t do anything idiotic with her like you did with Mr. Graham. I told her I would have loved to have known her private. Maybe in a different life she could have been my…”

“Drop it, Lecter!” Crawford snapped.

“…my protégé. Did I hit a nerve there, Special Agent Crawford?” Hannibal chuckled. “That was very out of character, very unprofessional. I dare say you’re sweet on that little West Virginian. Helping her career isn’t the only thing you’d like to help her with is it? How many times have you fantasized about bending her over your desk even as your wife lay dying?”

Jack was ever the stoic but inside his heart was breaking. Lecter’s words were cutting deep and he felt he could break any minute. This case and Bella dying was draining him. He hated that Lecter could even sense his weakness for Clarice, “Perhaps you would like to help Clarice out one last time?”

“What by giving you some information to save your ass so you can thank her for her help and then send her back to class like a good little girl?”

“She does need to finish her classes to graduate on time.”

“But will she be joining you in the BSU when she graduates, Jack? She lives for adulation from authority figures, continue to take her under your wing and you’ll have a perfect worker.”

Crawford turned his head away from Lecter; he was right and he hated it.

“Isn’t that what you want? Will Graham always resisted. But now, here’s this little Starling so eager to fly for you. She came and saw me without so much as a blink.” Hannibal stood and walked right up to the glass. “Or does that idea scare you, Jack? Are you afraid the abyss has already stared back at Clarice and deep down she liked what she saw?”

“You’re not as clever as you think you are, Hannibal,” Jack turned back to look him right in his maroon eyes.

“I’m done talking with you, adieu, Jack. I have a trip to prep for. Give my best to Clarice.” Dr. Lecter returned to his cot and sat down. He picked up the book he was reading and acted as if the Agent was not standing there.

Jack Crawford shuffled off. He felt defeated but he knew he’d only lost the battle. He’d picked right in sending Clarice Starling down to Lecter. His stomach turned; he was disgusted with himself but he pushed it aside. She was the only card he had to play he just had figure out how to keep his poker face and use her again once Lecter was transferred to Memphis.


End file.
